We love going to New Jack City I believe it’s one of the best climbing and camping scenarios I’ve ever experienced. With little or no approach and countless routes in the 5.7 - 5.10 range it’s a dream come true for the new lead climber ready to sharpen his skills on the sharp end. The scenery and geology of Sawtooth Canyon is amazing and always make for a trippy time. If you are new to the area and are ready to jump right in here are some of our recommended areas to check out if you plan on spending a few days.

While there are quite a bit of moderate climbs throughout the area these are a few of the crags with a larger concentration of Kook certified climbs for the new leader.

The Valentine Wall

This wall is right at the entrance to the canyon and offers some nice campsites right at the crag. While it’s not the tallest crag in the area there are a few good easy climbs to warm up on and get a feel for the rock on pretty easy short climbs. With one 5.6 and three 5.7’s and two 5.8’s it’s great little crag to get familiar with the rock at New Jack City.

Boy Scout Wall

This is a great beginner crag “hence the name” and receives morning shade and can be quite nice on those warm spring days. This is one of the taller crags for beginners and has tons of moderate climbs that will get you stoked. Some recommend routes are Sam I am (5.7) and Jack Be Nimble (5.8). A lot of these climbs are close together so you can build anchors and top rope a lot of routes next door this way you can access some harder climbs without having to lead them.

Raven Rocks

There are some great climbs in the Raven Rocks area but they are a bit more difficultly. A few of the classics are Cutom Tailored (5.7), Taylor Made (5.8), Rob’s Rambunctious Ride (5.9) and if you are ready to step up to the challenge Holey Moley (5.10a) most of the rest of the climbs here are in the 5.10a range and up.

Climbing in the south raven rocks new jack city.jpg

Cliffs of Insanity

This is the tallest crag at New Jack City and definitely worth the trek out to. These climbs can be done either in a single pitch with a 70 meter rope or as a multi-pitch option from the belay ledge (Two Bolts Up). This is an excellent crag for a first time multi-pitch sport leader and no better place to start that Uncle Funs Basement (5.7). If you are doing these climbs in a single pitch you will want to bring some longer alpine draws to reduce rope drag on the lower bolts.

The Crooked Dick Spire

This is a must do route when in New Jack City. Once you have really familiarized yourself with the rock and are feeling comfortable this is a climb you will not want to miss. We do this climb every time we come to New Jack it’s a right of passage. If you are setting this route up as a top rope make sure to leave the last draw in as a directional because it gets interesting at the top with a high likelihood of swinging. Make sure to stand on the top of the spire and take in the feeling of being on top of a spire!